The impact of antimalarial resistance on the genetic structure of Plasmodium falciparum in the DRC.
Robert J VerityOzkan AydemirNicholas F BrazeauOliver John WatsonNicholas J HathawayMelchior Kashamuka MwandagalirwaPatrick W MarshKyaw ThwaiTravis FultonMadeline DentonAndrew P MorganJonathan B ParrPatrick K TumwebazeMelissa ConradPhilip J RosenthalDeus S IshengomaJeremiah M NgondiJulie R GutmanModest MulengaDouglas E NorrisWilliam J MossBenedicta A MensahJames L Myers-HansenAnita GhansahAntoinette K TshefuAzra C GhaniSteven R MeshnickJeffrey A BaileyJonathan J JulianoPublished in: Nature communications (2020)
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) harbors 11% of global malaria cases, yet little is known about the spatial and genetic structure of the parasite population in that country. We sequence 2537 Plasmodium falciparum infections, including a nationally representative population sample from DRC and samples from surrounding countries, using molecular inversion probes - a high-throughput genotyping tool. We identify an east-west divide in haplotypes known to confer resistance to chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine. Furthermore, we identify highly related parasites over large geographic distances, indicative of gene flow and migration. Our results are consistent with a background of isolation by distance combined with the effects of selection for antimalarial drug resistance. This study provides a high-resolution view of parasite genetic structure across a large country in Africa and provides a baseline to study how implementation programs may impact parasite populations.